Internal-combustion engine



May 29, 1928.

1,671,796 W. TRACEY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Nov. 1926 2 Sheet INVENTOR. Mil/19M 7Ixaciy Ma/W A TORIVEY.

May 29, 1928.

W.- TRACEY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Nov. 22, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet .2,

/@ INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

ted May 29, 1928.

' WI LIA 'rRAcEY, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGI NE.

Application filed November 22 1926. Serial No. 149,941.

My invention relatesto improvements in internal combustion engines of the compression type. An object is to provide such an internal combustion engine so constructed and arranged that the extent ofthe compression space within the combustion chamber or chambers may be varied at will and durlng the running of the engine.

More specifically, an object of myinvention is the provision, in an internal combustion engine of the character described fitted with cylinders and working pistons, of mechanism cooperating with the pistons whereby they maybe advanced or withdra vn during the running of the engine to ary the extent of the compression space in the several cylinders within which the pistons are mounted.

An important feature resides. in the employment of a plurality of cylinders, each titted with a working piston coupled with *a transmission shaft to impart a rotary impulse thereto upon the power stroke of the piston and to travel freely thereover upon the return stroke and operating mechanism adapted to be actuated to advance or withdraw the pistons tov vary the extent of the compression space in each of the several cylinders and operable to accomplish such result during the running of the engine.

The advantages of a high compression en gine are at the present time minimized by the difliculty of starting the engine. improved engine so constructed that it may be started upon relatively low compression and the extent of the compression chamber reduced as desired duringthe run ning of the engine to increase the coinpression thereby obtaining all of the advantages of an en ine of the hi h com )ression t we startingr Other objects and advantages of my invention and meritorious features of my con struction will more fully appear from the following description of the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings and defined in the claims. A

In the drawings: i Fig; 1 is a vertical sectional view through an engine embodying my inmrovement.

on the line of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view takenon the line33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional, view H of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is. a sectional view 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view 66 of Fig. 1. i

I have illustrated my improvement in a simpleform of engine design COIIIPIiSlllg taken on line taken on line four aligned combustion chambers or cylinders 10. Each cylinder is provided with a piston 12. Each piston is provided with a worinl i. The worm adapted to serve the purpose of a rack, in a rack and pinion n'lechanisrnfduring the reciprocation of the piston to drive a gear 16 mounted upon the transmission shaft 18. r A pairof transmission shafts 18 are provided arranged on.

opposite sides of the pistons sothat the gears lonare in mesh with the worms 14 of i the several pistons. A pluralityof gears or pinions 20 are suitably supported between the severalpistons, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and '2', engaged with the worms 14 of the pistons. One ofthese gears 20 is engaged with a rack 22 which is pivoted to a crank 24 which is in turn pivoted'to a flywheel 26 that is supported as at 28 so as to drive plsthe flywheel upon reciprocation of the tons.

The pistons are of substantial length and may be advanced or withdrawn during the taken on line.

running of the engine. The means for accomplishing this is here shown as embodied in a plurality of rotatable shafts 30, one for each piston, over which the piston is telescopically arranged. The piston is keyed to the shaft as at 32 to rotate therewith but 11s capable of rec procation over the shaft. in an engine employing low compression for Each rotatable shaft carries a gear or pinion 34 keyed thereto as at 36. A shaft 38 is provided with worms 40 engaged with the gears 34 to'rotate the shafts 30 and thereby the pistons upon rotation of the' the pistons areniounted, therebyincreasing or decreasing the COITIPI'QSSiOIi space in each cylinder. Fig. 2 1s a horizontal sectional view taken I The gears 16 are so mountedupon the transmission shafts '18 that such shafts are picked up for rotation when such gears are rotating in one direction but travel freely over such shafts when rotating in the opposite direction.

I have here shown .ch gear as recessed on both sides to receive a pinion 42. These pinions 42 are pinned to the shafts 18 as at 44 to rotate therewith. Each pinion is provided with teeth 46 and each gear 16 is provided with a plurality of pawls -18 held by springs 50 to engage the teeth 46 of the ,pinions 42. Each pawl has a bearing in a recess 52 to seat therein to take the thrust when engaged with the pinion 42, and each pawl is mounted upon a pivot 54 but the opening in the pawl is oversize the pin so as to permit the seat 52 in the gear 16 rather than the pivot pin 54 to receive the thrust of the pawl. i

The teeth 46 in the gear 16 are so relatively arranged that one pawl, at least, will always seat full against one tooth. This is obtained by sue a relative variationin size of the teeth as to accomplish such result.

What I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion engine of the compression type, a plurality of cylinders each provided with a working piston, a worm carried by each piston, a pair of power transmission shafts arranged on opposite sides of the pistons, a plurality of gears on each shaft one for each piston and geared to the piston to be driven thereby, each gear coupled with the shaft upon which it is mounted to rotate the shaft 1n one direction and to travel thereover when rotating in the opposite direction, a plurality of gears coupling the pistons together and to a flywheel to drive said flywheel, means coupled with the pistons to move them as a unit with respect to the cylinders to reduce or increase the compression space in each cylinder.

2. In an internal combustion en ine of the compression type, a plurality o cylinders each provided with a working piston, a worm carried by each piston, a pair of power transmission shafts arranged on opposite sides of the pistons, a plurality of gears on each shaft one for each piston and geared to the piston to be driven thereby, each gear coupled with the shaft upon which it is mounted to rotate the shaft in one direction and to travel thereover when rotating in the opposite direction, a plurality of gears coupling the pistons together and to a flywheel to drive said flywheel, a gear coupled with each piston, a worm engaging said gears to rotate them to move the pistons with respect to the gears on the transmission shafts and with respect to the cylinders within which the pistons are mounted to reduce or increase the compression space in each piston.

3. In an internal combustion engine of the compression type, a plurality of aligned cylinders, a working piston mounted in each cylinder, a worm carried by each piston, a pair of power transmission shafts mounted on opposite sides of the pistons, a plurality of gears loosely mounted upon each shaft one for each piston, each gear engaged with the worm of the corresponding piston to be rotated thereby upon reciprocation of the piston, means coupled with each gear to automatically pick up the shaft upon which the gear is mounted to rotate the same upon rotation of the gear in one direction only adapted to permit the gear to travel freely over the shaft when rotating in the opposite direction, a pluralit of gears coupling the pistons together an to a fi wheel to drive said flywheel, a gear couple with each piston, a worm shaft engaged with said last named gears operable to rotate the pistons to move them with respect to the cylinders within which they are mounted to reduce or increase the compression space in each cylinder. a, r

4. In an internal combustion engine of the compression type, a plurality of cylinders, a working piston in each cylinder, a

worm on each piston, a power transmission,

shaft, a plurality of gears on the shaft one engaged with each piston worm to be rotated thereby u on reci rocation of the pis' ton, means coup ing eac gear with the shaft upon which it is mounted to rotate the shaft when the gear is rotating in one direction and to travel over the shaftwhen the gear is rotating in the opposite direction, a flywheel, means coupling the pistons with the flywheel to rotate the same, means coupled with the pistons to raise or lower them with respect to the c linders within which they are mounted to decrease or increase the compression space in the several cylinders equally.

5. In an internal combustion engine of the compression type, a plurality of cylinders, a working piston within each cylinder,

a worm on each piston, a pair of power transmission shafts one on each side of the pistons, means on each shaft engaging the worm of each piston to receive a power impulse therefrom to rotate the shaft in one direction only, a flywheel coupled with the several pistons to be driven thereby, and means operable to move the pistons as a unit to vary equally the size of the compression spaces within the several cylinders.

6. In an internal combustion engine of. the compression type, a plurality of cylineach gear coupled with the shaft u on which it is mounted to pick up the sha t for rotation upon rotation of the gear in onedirection only and adapted to travel over the shaft when rotating in the opposite direction, means engaging each piston to move thesamewv-ith respect'to the cylinder and the transmission shaft to vary the compression space within the cylinder.

7 In aninternal combustion engine ofthe compression type, a plurality of cylinders, a working piston in each cylinder, a worm on each piston, a pair of power transmission shafts arrangedon opposite sides of the pistons,a plurality of gears mounted upon each shaft one for each piston and engagedwith the worm thereonto be rotated thereby upon reciprocation of the piston, each gear coupled with the shaft upon-which it is mounted to pick up the shaft for rotation' upon rotation of the" gear in one direction only and adapted to travel over the shaft when rotating in the opposite direction, a rotatable shaft keyed to each piston to rotate therewith while permitting the piston to reciprocate thereover, and means engaging the several rotatable shaftslast named to actuate them to advance-or withdraw the pistons with respect to the gears on'the power transmission shafts to reduce or-increase thecompression spacesin the several cylinders.

8. In an internal combustion engine of the compression type, aplurality of cylinders,'aworking piston in each.cylinder,a worm on each piston, a pair of power transmission shafts arranged on opposite sides of the pistons, a plurality of gears mounted upon each shaft one for each piston and engaged with the worm thereon to be rotated thereby upon reciprocation of the piston, each gear coupled with the shaft uponwhich it is mounted (i ll to pick up the" shaft-for rotation upon rotation of the gear in one directiononly and adapted to travel overthe shaft when rotating in the opposite direction and meansengaging the pistons to advance or withdraw them as a unit with respect to the cylinders to reduce or increase the compression chamber spaces in the. cylinders.

9. In an internal combustion engine of the compression type, a plurality of cylinders, a working piston in each cylinder, a worm on each piston, a pair of power transmission shafts arran 'ed on opposite sides of the pistons, a plurality of gears mounted upon each shaft one for each piston and engaged with the worm thereon to be rotated thereby upon reciprocation of the piston, each gear coupled with the shaft upon which it is mounted to pick up the shaft for rotation upon rotation of the gear in one direction only and adapted to travel over the shaft when rotating in the opposite direction. saidpistons adapted to be advanced or withdrawn to overrun the gears on the transmission shafts to reduceor increase the compression space in cachof the several cylinders.

10. In an internal combustion engine the compression type, a plurality of cylin ders, a working piston in each cylinder, a worm' on each piston, a pair of"powertrans mission shafts arranged on opposite sides of thepistons, a pluralityof gears mounted upon each shaft oncifor eachpiston and engaged with" the worm thereon to be rotated thereby upon reciprocation of-the piston,

or decrease the conipressionspace in the cylinderywithin which the pistonis mountedh 11 In an internal combustion engineof the compression type, a cylinder,"a reciprocating piston therein, means coupled with the piston to receive a power impulse therefrom, said piston beingrotatable with respect to the means coupled therewith to receive the power impulse therefrom and means engaging the piston torotate the same to vary thecompression space within the cylinder. V i

12. Iii aninternal combustion engine of the compression type, a cylinder, a working piston therein, a, rotatable member coupled withth'e piston to be driven by therecipro-i cation thereof, said pistonso coupled with the rotatable member as to be capable offroto travel over the tation with respectthereto andwith respect to the cylinder to vary the extent of the compression space within the cylinder,and means extending axially into the piston and coupledtherewith to rotate the piston to travclthereover.

13. In an internal combustion engine of the compression, type, a cylinder, a working piston therein, a rotatable member coupled with the piston to be driven by the reciprocation thereof, said piston coupled with the rotatable member as to be capable of rotation with respect thereto during the reciprocation of the piston and the rotation of the rotatable member to vary the extent ofithe compression space within the cylinder and mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft disposed axially within the piston and coupled therewith to rotate the piston to travel thereover and means engaging said shaft to rotate the same, a

14. In an internal combustion engine of the compression type, a plurality of aligned cylinders, a working piston in each cylinder,

a pair of power transmission shafts arranged on opposite sides of the pistons, each piston provided with a worm, each power transmission shaft provided with a plurality of gears loosely mounted thereon and engagefl with the worms of the pistons to be rota ed upon reciprocation of the pistons, a clutch device for each gear automatically operable to pick up the transmission shaft to rotate therewith when the gear is being rotated in one direction but adapted to permit the gears to run over the shaft when rotated in the opposite direction, a rotatable shaft telescopically arranged within each piston and keyed thereto to rotate therewith while permitting the pistons to reciprocate thereover, means engaging each of said r0 tatable shafts to rotate them in unison to rotate the pistons tobe advanced or withdrawn with respect to the gears on the transmission shaft to reduce or increase the compression spaces in the several cylinders equally, a flywheel, a plurality of gears ar-.

ranged between the several pistons engaged with the worms thereof and coupled with the flywheel to drive the same upon reciprocation of the pistons.

15. In an internal combustion engine of the compression type, a cylinder, a working piston therein having a power transmitting extension held to travel in a straight line, a rotatable member coupled with said extension to receive a power impulse therefrom and means engaging said extension to rotate the piston to actuate the same linearly with respect to said rotatable member and with respect to the cylinder.

16. An internal combustion engine of the compression type having a plurality ofcylinders, a reciprocating piston in each cylinder provided with a tubular power transmitting extension, a rotatable member coupled with said extension to receive power impulses therefrom, a rotatable shaft positioned within said tubular extension and coupled therewith to rotate the same while permitting travel of the piston thereover,

means engaging said shaft for rotation, said piston adapted upon rotation of the shaft to be actuated to travel linearly thereover.

17 An internal combustion engine of the compression type having a plurality of .c linders, a working piston in each cylin er having a tubular extension provided with a worm, a worm gear engaging such extension to receive a power impulse therefrom, a

rotatable shaft disposed within said extension and coupled thereto to rotate the piston to travel over the shaft, means engaging said shaft to rotate the shaft, a flywheel coupled through a train of gears arran ed between the worm extensions of said pistons to be driven therefrom.

18. An internal combustion eng'ne of the compression type having a plura ity of cylinders arranged in line, a iston for each cylinder provided with a tu ular worm extension held to travel in a straight line; a train of gears, one for each worm extension, arranged between the worm extensions of the pistons coupling said pistons together and with a rotatable member to rotate said the worm extensions of said piston and en-' meshed therewith to receive a power impulse froin each piston.

In testimony whereof, I, WILLIAM TRAcEY,

sign this specification.

WILLIAM, TRACEY. 

